I nodded. “Yeah. I do. It was great, but I’m ready for a change.”
Even if neither of us would admit it, our age was certainly a factor. We weren’t those cocky, invincible twenty-one-year-olds anymore. We were the leaders—the ones responsible for watching out for others’ safety. And that wasn’t something I took lightly. Guys we’d known—worked side by side with—had been knocked out by a tree. Others had been on a team that had been lost. It was a dangerous job, and with fire season lasting longer and burning hotter every year, the prospect was even more daunting.
We lapsed into silence, lost in our respective thoughts as we returned to our tasks. Scott was on my mind a lot, and I wondered yet again why he’d left me the house. It was an unexpected gift, but at the moment, it felt more like a curse. I thought back to our last night together, to what he’d said about sharing my life with someone. Surely, he hadn’t meant Audrey…had he?
I laughed to myself, knowing it was an absurd notion. He’d left me the house because he knew how much it meant to me. He’d left Audrey the house because she was his daughter, and he wanted to take care of her even after his death. That was all. End of story.
Besides… I shook my head. Audrey and me? We were like oil and water. She was a city girl with aspirations to match, and I loved the slow life in a small town. We couldn’t be more different.
“So…” Chase said as we headed toward our trucks at the end of the day, Max trotting ahead. “The Winter Solstice Celebration?”
I opened the passenger door for Max, waiting for her to hop up into the cab before closing the door. As much as I wanted to go home, I didn’t want to have to deal with Audrey. A night out with friends sounded…nice.
“Yeah. Sure. I’m going to head home to shower. I’ll see you there.”
“Fuck yeah.” He hopped in his truck, pumping his fist in the air.
When Max and I arrived downtown for the festivities, the town square was alive with laughter and celebration. Lights wrapped around the tree trunks, glittering in the branches. Children ran down Main Street, music filling the air. Max’s tail waved wildly from side to side as we took it all in, and the smell of caramelized onions and fried dough had both of us panting.
Several people greeted us as we passed, and Luke stopped to pet Max before darting down the street. I smiled and waved at Grayson and Sidney from afar, knowing there’d be time to catch up with them later. But first, I needed some food.
I headed down to the food stalls, surveying the options from the local restaurants. I smiled at Dylan, who was cradling a large noodle bowl in hand.
“That looks good,” I said, catching a whiff of the savory soup.
She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “Indigo Tree, and it’s amazing.”
“Thanks. That’s the Shaw brothers’ new restaurant, right?”
“Yep. And their sister’s brewery is down at the end.”
“Mm.” I grinned, loving the beer from White Rhino and knowing the noodles would likely be just as good. “I think I’ll go get some for myself.”
I headed that direction, purchasing a bowl and dropping some cash in the tip jar before heading toward the tables set up in the clearing. The area was surrounded by trees, and white lights cast a warm glow over the space. The crew and I had donated the picnic tables. Though it had taken time out of our busy construction schedule, seeing the joy, the sense of community, made it all worth it.
Max settled on the ground next to me, while I dug into my soup. I was so consumed with the intense flavors that I didn’t see Audrey approach until it was too late. She lifted a leg over the bench and sank down across from me. She seemed more relaxed tonight, or maybe it was just her clothes. I couldn’t see what she wore beneath her jacket, but the jeans and boots weren’t what I would’ve expected. Let alone the bright-red hat with a pom-pom on top.
Max jumped up and went over to nudge Audrey’s hand with her head.Traitor.
“Hey, girl. Are you having fun?” Audrey ruffled Max’s fur, smiling down at my dog.
I’d always considered dogs to be a good judge of character, but I was beginning to wonder if Max’s senses were off. Audrey was cold, selfish, snobbish. And yet Max seemed to gravitate toward the woman.
“Let me buy you a drink,” Audrey said.
I barely lifted my head, keeping my focus on my soup. “Is this a trick?”
She shook her head. “Consider it an olive branch. We got off on the wrong foot.”
I barked out a laugh, startling Max. “You think?”
She cringed. “Yeah. Sorry about the pepper spray, but to be fair—I honestly thought you were an intruder.”
I nodded, considering her words. After I’d calmed down—and my skin and eyes were no longer on fire—I could see how she might have thought that. Plus, we needed to get along if we were going to reach a consensus on the house. “I’m sorry for startling you.”
“Thanks. So, what can I get you?” She grinned, seeming to relax. “Wine, beer, something else?”
“I’ll take a beer from White Rhino. If they have an IPA, great.”
